Poll: Only 9% Plan to Buy BD Player in Next Year

A new Harris Interactive poll of more than 2,500 U.S. adults doesn't spell good news for Blu-ray Disc.

While 87% of respondents own DVD players, only 4% reported owning a standalone Blu-ray player and 5% reported owning a PlayStation 3. Only 9% responded that they planned on buying a Blu-ray player in the next year.

Two-thirds of respondents said they were aware of the end of the format war, and nearly seven out of 10 said they were aware that Blu-ray had won. But while nearly a quarter of respondents who were aware of the format war said they were waiting for a winner before buying a player, none had done so by the end of April.

“Since Blu-ray Disc player pricing averages more than $300, which is well above the cost for the latest generation of standard DVD players with upconverters, Blu-ray Disc players may be encountering price sensitivity despite the advanced technology,” said Joan Barten Kline, VP of the Harris Interactive Media & Entertainment Practice.

Those who do plan on buying a player are going for a first-generation Blu-ray player (10%) or a PS3 (11%), instead of the more expensive standalone players that are including profile 2.0/BD Live capabilities (6%). Only 14% of HDTV owners (a third of the respondents) said they planned on buying a Blu-ray player at all.

Only 6% reported they owned an HD DVD player and 1% said they owned an HD DVD add-on drive for the Xbox 360. Nearly half the HD DVD owners in the poll said they would continue buying HD DVD movies as long as they are available.